A general view of dried-up rivers in the Pilbara region of Western Australia December 2, 2013. Western Australia's Pilbara region, which is the size of Spain, has the world's largest known deposits of iron ore and supplies nearly 45 percent of global trade in the mineral. (Photo by David Gray/Reuters)

The Mano de Desierto is a large-scale sculpture of a hand located in the Atacama Desert in Chile, 75 km to the south of the city of Antofagasta, on the Panamerican Highway. The nearest point of reference is the “Ciudad Empresarial La Negra” (La Negra Business City). The sculpture was constructed by the Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal at an altitude of 1,100 meters above sea level. Irarrázabal used the human figure to express emotions like injustice, loneliness, sorrow and torture. Its exaggerated size is said to emphasize human vulnerability and helplessness. The work has a base of iron and cement, and stands 11 metres (36 ft) tall. Funded by Corporación Pro Antofagasta, a local booster organization, the sculpture was inaugurated on March 28, 1992.

A freighter trapped in ice is shown in this aerial photo near Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior northwest of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario April 7, 2015. The biggest ice cover on the Great Lakes in decades is backing up shipments of everything from Canadian grain to U.S. iron and steel in one of North America's most important economic regions. (Photo by Kenneth Armstrong/Reuters)

“The Pugs of Westeros” sees Roxy, Blue and Bono playing doggy versions of the main characters, including conniving King Joffrey. The pugs’ owners, Phillip Lauer (57) and his wife Sue (47), have been dressing their pugs up as characters from cinema and TV since they were puppies. They jumped at the chance of creating a picture series based on one of their favourite shows. Sue spent two weeks just creating the Iron Throne alone but it was well worth it. (Photo by Phillip Lauer)

An employee of Paris city Hall removes padlocks clipped by lovers on the fence of the Pont des Arts over the River Seine in Paris, December 9, 2014. For years, visiting couples have hung brass padlocks on the iron grills lining the city's bridges to symbolise their undying love – they write their names on the locks, then toss the key into the Seine below. About 700,000 love locks are added every few months and Paris officials say they are damaging the bridges and threatening safety because of the added weight. (Photo by Philippe Wojazer/Reuters)

A thrill-seeking snapper has shot a powerful series of images featuring people carrying out everyday chores in front of giant storms. Benjamin Von Wong's surreal scenes include individuals ironing, barbecuing, playing video games and even sitting on the toilet – seemingly unaware of the threatening situations approaching. The project was initiated to raise awareness about climate change, and the the storms appearing across six different states in the U.S. Von Wong, 29, started the project in Colorado, before traveling to South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota and Nebraska for the unusual images. Here: Models pose in front of a storm in Cheyenne Wyoming. (Photo by Benjamin Von Wongs/Caters News)

Gorgeous galaxies and stunning stars make up this selection of pictures from the shortlisted entries for this year’s Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year award. The winners will be announced on 15 September, and an exhibition of the winning images will be will be displayed in a free exhibition at the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Centre from 17 September. Here: “Seven Magic Points”. The rusty red swirls of the circular, iron sculpture Seven Magic Points in Brattebergan, Norway mirror the rippling aurora above. (Photo by Rune Engebø/Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016/National Maritime Museum)

An array of colours dwarf visitors to the Rainbow Mountains in the Andes Cordillera in Peru in January 2023, which owes its colours to the minerals contained in the soil. The sulfur offers the yellow colour, iron oxide gives the red and copper sulfate is green. In total, it is made up of 14 different minerals. It was probably caused by weather and volcanic activity. (Photo by Guillaume Astruc/Naturagency/Solent News & Photo Agenc)